Trainer's winner in final days before becoming a steward

Brad Waters - Friday September 22

Trainer Paul Maher had a winner at Pakenham on Thursday on one of his last days training before he embarks on an unusual career path.

The stewards' room will be Paul Maher's new office once he quits training.

Maher prepared Mag Wheels to win the opening race of the Pakenham meeting four days before he hands in his licence to take up a job as a racing steward in Tasmania.

Maher said he applied for the job with Tasracing in April before shifting most of his team to Victoria to finish his training career.

"It's going to be a big change on what I've been doing for the last 15 years but I'm looking forward to it," Maher told Racing Victoria.

"As I've got further down and stayed in the race for the job, I wanted to finish my career back here where I started training in Victoria.

"I started to move the team over not knowing whether I was going to be successful. I found out a couple of weeks ago that I was successful so these are the last few days of my training career."

Maher said he started to look outside training as a career because of the time demands of the profession.

But he was happy to be staying in the racing industry.

"I've had it in the back of my mind for a while," Maher said.

"I just thought it might have been time, at this age, to start a new career even though it's going to be in the industry and it's something I'm going to enjoy and hopefully free me up with family."

Maher said he would transfer his Victoria-based horses to Kelvin Southey while Adrian Duggan will take over Maher's remaining Tasmanian horses.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Aquis Announce 2024 Fees Plus an Exciting New Addition
Queensland’s leading stallion operation, Aquis Stallions, has revealed its roster for the 2024 season.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday May 14
Here is the full list of 23 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Telemon Thoroughbreds Announce 2024 Fees
It takes a very rare and special stallion to consistently produce early maturing, hardy horses that can rise to the top as 2YOs and the Telemon Thoroughbreds roster is headed this year by two stallions with that sought after ability that will allow breeders to target Australia’s best incentive scheme, QTIS.
Sires With Winners - Monday May 13
Here is the full list of 18 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Third Aussie Winner for Blue Point
Darley shuttler Blue Point (IRE) is yet to replicate his Northern Hemisphere success in Australia, but he is on the Darley Victoria roster again for this spring and he did post an impressive debut winner at Mornington on Monday.
Bowness Stud Confirm D'Argento Fee
After standing for $16,500 (inc. GST) last season, Group 1 winner D’Argento (So You Think) will remain at the same fee for the upcoming breeding season, with live foal payments terms applying.
Cambridge Stud Partnership Strikes Again
A long-standing association that provided Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay with their breakthrough Group One success has again come up trumps at stakes level.
Super One Relocates to Roselee Park in WA
Roselee Park has welcomed Super One, the sire of Champion WA 2YO Super Smink, to its roster in Serpentine.
Kentucky Tour for Little Avondale Stud's Sam Williams
Little Avondale Stud’s Sam Williams cheered home a significant black-type result for the Masterton nursery from afar.
First Season – What’s in the Pipeline?
The first season sires division is a hugely competitive one and with just two and a half months of the season to run the race to be champion first season sire by winners and earnings in still up for grabs with less than half a million separating the top five contenders which got us thinking about what might be in the pipeline for these sires and what percentage of their foal crop we have seen to d